Small Town Living in Gibson County by Jancey Smith

Small Town Living in Gibson County, IN

PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID EDDM RETAIL

Free!

March 2020 Local Postal Customer

Th e W o r l d â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s F a st e st P o l e B e n d e r

Dave Edwards

I Can Make a Difference ~ Gibson County Commissioner, Gerald Bledsoe Paid for by Bledsoe for Com m issioner

Wednesday - Friday: March 11, 12 & 13 • 8:00 - 5:30 pm Saturday: March 14 • 9:00 - 4:00 pm Closed Tuesday March 10th to prepare for the sale

STORE WIDE SALE

Give your home a new LOOK this spring for just pennies a day! All bedroom, dining, sofas and ﬂooring on sale. One Year Free Financing.

Starting at Flexsteel Sofas

$349.99 Up grade to a power lift recliner for a few dollars more

La-Z-Boy Recliners

104 N. Main Street • Owensville, Indiana 47665 812-724-3501 • 800-440-4888 • www.holdersfurniture.net

Small Town Living

Welcome back to . . .

in Gibson County

Hey there and happy almost spring. Yes, spring is coming. Mardi Gras has hit, Lent is now and those fish fries are in full force. Check out the event section for details. Soon we’ll be busy moving our time outdoors to the garden, park or grill, so look for what may be coming up. For now we have some stories to share about our local folks and what they’ve been up to lately. Our country friends have been busy with cows, horses and tractors. Look for pictures and updates on the Ag side of life. There’s a great story on a country girl that has a way with music in Local Talent Spotlight. Business is all about the ladies this month. See the Business Today section for how young moms are finding a business niche. Yes there’s always food. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day we have an easy Irish dish. For something a little sweet, there’s a how-to on making maple syrup. For something a little different, this month’s Behind the Scenes explores coffee. Take a break for a moment, kick back in the recliner and see what’s happening. We have tidbits for you from all over the county. Hope you enjoy! Jancey Smith

Brought to you by -

Jancey Smith and friends Contact us - by mail at 427 N. Hart St., Princeton, IN 47670

by email at jancey@ smalltownlivinggibsoncounty.com by phone at - 812-664-1082

Inside -

Country Connections - pg. 2 As the Vets Says - pg. 6

Behind the Scenes - pg. 10 Business Today - pg. 12

Cooking Corner - pg. 22

Local Events - pg. 24-25 Picturing the Past - 26

Local Talent Spotlight - 30 Artist Profile - pg. 39

copyright 2020 Small Town Living in Gibson County assumes no responsibility for guest writers or submitted material. Signed articles are the opinion of the columnist and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Working together for your financial future. www.edwardjones.com

Member SIPC

Shane Minton

Financial Advisor .

Small Town Living

100 S. Hull Street Ft. Branch, IN 47648 t: 812-753-3893 c: 812-403-0004

March 2020

Page 1

Story: Madison Brooks Photos provided

Country Connections Pole Bending at its Best

When they are not working for East Gibson School Corporation, David and Teresa Edwards of Oakland City spend most of their time showing their horses in pole bending and barrel racing classes. David is the Director of Maintenance and Transportation for East Gibson School Corporation, and his wife is the secretary at Oakland City Elementary School. It all started when the couple met through showing horses when they were younger. “My family had horses and so did her family, so we were always at the same place,” David said. “When we had our boys, they went with us all the way up until they got old enough to drive and find other things they liked to do,” Teresa added. At a young age, David became interested in pole bending after seeing it done at a horse show. Pole bending is a timed race where a horse and one rider quickly weave between six poles placed 21 feet apart. Teresa became interested in barrel racing when she was young also. Barrel racing is where the rider and horse

David, Lincoln, Draper and Teresa Edwards pose after David was awarded the title of World’s Fastest Pole Bender of 2019 through the National Pole Benders Association.

make a series of sharp turns around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. According to David, showing horses is a good family hobby that provides the opportunity to make money while competing. The couple have two sons, Lincoln and Lane, and two grandsons, Draper and Parker, who they share their love of horses with. The past three years have been very successful

On the cover: David Edwards rides Tim Oxby’s stallion “Classified Frenchman” in Cloverdale, Indiana to win the title.

1OFF

ANY REG PRICE

ADULT MEAL

HURRY! Coupon Expires 3/31/20 Valid Everyday. Not valid on holidays. Limit 4 per coupon on same check. Cannot be used in combination with any other coupon, discount or promotional offer; Not valid on senior pricing and daily manager specials; Tax not included; Valid at Princeton Ponderosa Steakhouse.

1OFF

GET ‘EM TO GO WINGS

ANY REG PRICE

ADULT MEAL

1OFF

ANY REG PRICE

ADULT MEAL

1OFF

ANY REG PRICE

ADULT MEAL

For FREE Food!

WE’RE HIRING

2020 W. Broadway, Princeton 812-386-6116

HOURS - Closed Mon. • Tue.-Sun. 10:30-9:00

Page 2

March 2020

Small Town Living

Country Connections Continued -

Teresa Edwards and “Corona On Top” barrel racing.

when it comes to showing. In June of 2019, David was awarded the National Pole Benders Association’s title of the World’s Fastest Pole Bender during a show in Cloverdale, Indiana. He won this title on Tim Oxby’s stallion “Classified Frenchman,” finishing the race in 19.688 seconds. Last year, David won the first round of the 2019 All American Quarter Horse Congress Pole Bending Sweepstakes in Columbus, Ohio. He also took third place during the American Quarter Horse Association World Show in level three pole bending in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. “It’s a humbling sport,” Teresa said. “One weekend you might do really

well and the next weekend you might have to pick yourself back up.” The couple currently have 12 quarter horses and one pony, “D.J.” on their farm, which keeps them busy year round. “There are so many horses that usually we don’t have time to do much else,” Teresa said. “During the summer we’re either at horse shows or we’re home taking care of the horses.” During the winter months, David and Teresa continue to keep their horses in shape by riding in their indoor arena. David also trains other people’s horses in barrel racing and pole bending. He explained that it takes approximately six months to one year to successfully train a horse how to race barrels or poles. This winter, however, David is using these months to recover from a surgery he needed in order to repair his torn meniscus. David initially injured his leg a few years ago when he was kicked by a horse, but recently reinjured it after slipping off of his tractor. “Teresa has been working really hard since I hurt my leg, she’s been taking care of them,” he said. “Without her, it would be hard to do it.” He hopes to be fully recovered for a show at the end of March. Other than showing horses, they both have been directors for the National Barrel Horse Association for ten years, and they have put on multiple horse shows at the Gibson County Fairgrounds. “We’re getting ready to help put one on Mother’s Day weekend,” David shared. In the future, the couple hope to fulfill their goal of having their grandsons share their passion for horses.

Keely Edwards helping her sons Draper and Parker sit on “D.J.” with assistance from David.

Mardi Gras Jazz Gala Planned

Gibson General Health Foundation’s will host their 20th annual Mardi Gras Jazz Gala on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at the Toyota Events Center, Gibson County Fairgrounds. This one -of-a-kind event features delicious food catered by the Bauerhaus, exciting entertainment and fantastic silent and live auction items. To find out more about the Gibson General Health Foundation’s Mardi Gras Jazz Gala, please contact LeAnn Cooper at 812-385-9268.

Catfish Fridays! Fillet, Hushpuppies SOUPS, LUNCH AND and 2 Sides FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR

CLOSED SUN. OPEN MON. • SAT. 4AM • 2PM

124 W. STATE ST., PRINCETON, IN 812-635-9500

DESSERT SPECIALS

Small Town Living

$6.25

March 2020

Page 3

Soil & Water Conservation District Hosted Annual Dinner

Kenny Page received his award.

On Thursday, January 30th, the Soil & Water Conservation District held their annual meeting at the Toyota Event Center at the Fairgrounds. Over 125 people attended the event. After dinner, awards were presented and then historic entertainment was provided by a Teddy Roosevelt impressionist.

Annual Beef Preview Fills Pavilion Photos Jancey Smith

The first beef show of the year was held at the Gibson County Fairgrounds the first weekend in February. People travel for miles around the area to participate in this event. It’s always cold but draws a big crowd.

Chairman Matt Michel addressed the crowd.

Grooming is always a part of every beef show. The announcer directs them to “Go to the makeup room.”

Judging started early and the pavilion was filled with spectators and participants.

North Gibson Students Held Food Drive for Animal Shelter Photo provided

Antique Tractor Pull Held at Fairgrounds

On Valentine’s Day, the Gibson County Animal Services was thrilled to pick up two trucks and a van load of donations from Brumfield, Lowell South and the Princeton Community High School.

The “Peppermint Xpress” gets hooked up and ready to pull.

Mr. Bloebaum’s AG class helped load the truck with donations for the animal shelter.

Photos: Jancey Smith

Actor and historian, Joe Wiegland portrayed a famous conservationist, Teddy Roosevelt. Photo: Jancey Smith

Antique Tractor enthusiasts came from as far as Iowa to participate in the NATPS tractor pull at the Fairgrounds February 21st & 22nd.

CHECK OUT THE

Get ready for March Madness with us!

Wine & Liquor Selection

at Maidlows

Domestic, Import & Craf t Beers, Assorted Liquors & Wines The Largest Selection in Gibson County

113 N. 2nd St., Princeton (across from train depot) • Hours: M-Th 7am-11pm, F&Sat 7am-midnight, Sunday Noon-6pm

Page 4

March 2020

Small Town Living

Veteran’s Voice

George Pickersgill - Gibson Co. Veterans Service Officer, 812 385-4522

Now being three years into this position (as your County Veterans Service Officer) I feel the need to share with you the pride and satisfaction that has accompanied it. It has been an indescribable joy to assist you, America’s heroes, in interfacing with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which can at times be a daunting task. Although the VA has made tremendous strides in providing quality service to veterans, it is nonetheless an enormous and complicated system. Many wrongs have occurred over the years, either by commission or omission, and it brings me great satisfaction helping to right them, ensuring that our veterans receive that which they are entitled to. Most days I cannot get out of bed fast enough. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I was able to say that. If we have never met, I encourage you to stop in some time to the North Courthouse Annex in Princeton. I would love to hear your story and how I can help you. As a reminder, I do not bind myself by a rigid job description. I’m committed to doing whatever I can reasonably do to assist you with any issue. I am grateful to the Gibson County Commissioners for their faith and confidence in me, and for allowing me this tremendous privilege. I am likewise thankful for the kind words of encouragement I continually hear from you as I’m out and about. I am honored to serve you.

~ The Andy Griffith Quiz ~

Which character in ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ said the following?

1. “I thought Calvin Coolidge said that?” A. Aunt Bee B. Goober C. Wally D. Floyd 2. “I made 8 quarts.” A. Otis B. Charlene Darlin C. Aunt Bee D. Morrison Sisters

Article submitted by Friends of PRNWR

Saturday evening, February 29, and March 7, the Refuge Friends will offer a unique birding experience for the whole family. Most outings aren’t focused on just one animal, but woodcocks are so neat they get a whole night all their own! Just what is a “Peent”? It’s the sound made by male woodcocks while performing their courtship ritual flights. Join us at Boyd’s Trail parking lot on Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge at 7:00 pm Eastern/6:00 pm Central for a brief presentation on the woodcock. Then we’ll walk to Maxey Marsh Trail and hope the woodcocks put on a show. This event is open to all, regardless of age or experience.Yet, since this is an event in the evening that is dependent on a fairly quiet environment, parents are encouraged to stay with their children. Arrive early to enjoy the sunset and walk some trails. Directions: Go east on SR 64 to CR 1275E (look for Refuge sign). Turn left (north) on 1275E and follow the signs to Snakey Point Marsh, continue on to the parking lot on the left at Boyd’s Trail. Questions or directions? Look us up on Facebook @ PatokaRefugeFriends, or call 812-569-4009.

Start the New Year with Great Sleep on a

NEW MATTRESS Hart & Brumfield, Princeton • Hours: Mon. - Sat. 10 - 3 most days

3. “My name is Opie Taylor, Sr.” A. Gomer B. Barney C. Andy D. Floyd 4. “I hate the guitar.” A. Clara Edwards B. Thelma Lou C. Helen Crump D. Lydia Crosswaithe 5. “As a matter of fact, I’m a terrible cook.” A. Ellie Walker B. Barney C. Helen Crump D. Emma Watson for answers see page 32

Small Town Living

Peent! An Evening with the Woodcocks

NEW Mattress and foundation Frame not included

10 YEAR WARRANTY $ Queen Pillow Top 49900 $ 00 Queen Plush Top (2 Sided) 499 $ Full Pillow Top 39995 $ 95 Full Plush Top (2 Sided) 399 $ Twin Pillow Top 22995 5 YEAR WARRANTY $ 34995 Queen Pillow Top $ 00 Queen Plush Top (2 Sided) 365 $ 00 Queen Semi Plush (1 Sided) 299 $ Full Pillow Top 29995 $ Full 2 Sided 29995 $ Full 1 Sided 24900 $ Twin 2 Sided 22995 $ Twin 1 Sided 19900 Mattresses Available for Purchase Separately

March 2020

Page 5

As the Vet Says -

-Dr. Marybeth Feutz, Princeton Veterinary Hospital

Pet Poisons

Poison Prevention Week is March 15-21. This week was originally started to focus on preventing accidental poisonings for people, and it’s also important to do our best to prevent accidental poisonings for our pets! These are some of the more common things that can be poisonous for our furry family members. • Antifreeze. Yes, that green, sticky fluid that goes in your car. It tastes sweet and animals are attracted to it. Antifreeze is very dangerous to animals, just a few licks from a puddle can be fatal. Keep dogs and cats away from any areas where there could be an antifreeze spill and clean up any as soon as you notice it. If you think your pet drank antifreeze, call your veterinarian immediately. • Chocolate. Chocolate is not good for our pets, but it may not be quite as dangerous as you think. Most chocolate candies have a very low amount of theobromine (the part of chocolate that is toxic). The darker the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so

C ompassionate care for all animals, LARGE and small

if your dog or cat gets into the Easter stash, call your vet right away. • Xylitol. Xylitol is often used as a sugar substitute in sugar-free candy, gum, and peanut butter. While xylitol isn’t harmful to people, it can be very dangerous to dogs. Keep all sugar-free items away from your pets, and please don’t use them as treats! Call your veterinarian immediately if your pet got into a food with xylitol. • Easter Lilies . These beautiful white flowers are often used as decorations in the spring, but are very dangerous to cats. Some parts of the Easter lily cause severe mouth irritation. Other parts of the Easter lily can cause kidney failure that could be fatal. If you bring Easter lilies into your home for the spring, be sure they are well out of reach of your cats. • Onions and garlic. These are often seen as a “health food” – but not for pets! Onions and garlic can cause damage to your pet’s red blood cells and lead to a life-threatening condition. All forms of onion or garlic can cause this damage – fresh, frozen, minced, or dried. • Grapes and raisins. These may seem like a healthy treat for your dogs, but they are definitely not. Grapes and raisins can cause severe kidney damage in dogs. Grapes and raisins are great snacks for people, just not for sharing with our pets! If you think your pet has eaten something they shouldn’t have, call your veterinarian right away. Some things are not very dangerous, but others may need medical treatment right away to save your pet’s life. Princeton Veterinary Hospital always accepts new clients, and we are on call for emergencies. You can reach us at 812385-2733.

Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Sullivan’s Grocery

Call In •Take Out • Dine In

We are always accepting new patients!

725 E. Broadway, Princeton, IN

CALL TODAY! 812-385-2733 princetonvet.net/

Page 6

Try our

Bacon Cheese Fries!!!

Hwy. 65 in Union

812-354-2919

Mon. - Sat. Sunday

March 2020

5 am - 9 pm 6 am - 8 pm

Small Town Living

Gardening Goodies

Swedish Ivy is a popular, easy care houseplant. It makes a great hanging houseplant due to its trailing habit. The SI is native to northern Australia and the Pacific Islands. The leaves of the plain green SI are glassy with scalloped edges. Spikey, frilly light pink to white flowers appear in the Spring throughout the Summer. Tthe flowers pale in attractiveness to showy, robust, and dramatic foliage. Light - SI plants require bright indirect light, but not direct sun. You will know if your SI is not getting enough light, when you see your it reaching’ for the light and becoming leggy. In other words, when you notice the leaves becoming farther apart on the stem, it’s not getting enough light. Water - Most people kill their SI by overwatering which often leads to root rot. To help prevent that happening, check the soil before watering by sticking your finger about 3” into the soil. If the soil is damp don’t water, but if it’s dry, water your SI until you see the water trickle out of the drainage holes, then stop. Wait about 30 minutes and then dump out any water that’s collected in the saucer. You can also tell that your it is being overwatered, because the leaves turn yellow. Another way to know that your SI is needing to be watered is that the leaves become a soft and dull green in color. The leaves will also look and become slightly wilted. If you place your SI outside during the late Spring and throughout the Summer months, place it in a location where it gets filtered light. An outside SI will most probably require watering every week. However, always remember to check and don’t let it sit in water. Fertilizer - Fertilize every two weeks during April through August/September, instead of the usual watering. A good quality all-purpose houseplant fertilizer is great to use. Temperature - SI prerfer indoor temps 55 degrees to 70-75 degrees. Outside Summer temps are fine, just don’t put them in direct sun or the leaves will burn.

Colvin Funeral Home 425 North Main Street Princeton, IN 47670 812-385-5221

Swedish Ivy - SI (Plectranthus Australis) by Guest Writer, Kevin Smith

Humidity - The SI likes average to higher humidity, but still does well in household humidiity. If you’d like to increase the humidity, place your SI on a humidiity tray(plant saucer, rocks, water up to bottom of pot). Flowers and keeping your SI tidy - Small light pink to white flowers may appear starting in late Spring and on through the Summer. They are not impressive and in a sense detracts from the beauty of the foliage. If you don’t want the flowers, (I don’t) you can pinch them out with your fingers. By removing them, this also encourages leaf growth. SIs can get very leggy and straggly, so to help prevent this, about every other week or at least once a month, pinch the centers out of the middle of each stem. Those stems that have already become leggy cut out with scissors or simply break off. DON’T THROW THESE AWAY BECAUSE THEY CAN BE USED TO PROPAGATE MORE plants. Propagating - There are two ways of propagating SIs..... #1. Take those cuttings you trimmed off plus others from here and there from the parent plant , trimming off any excess stem; dip the stems in water and then in a rooting medium. Take these cuttings put them in a 3”-4” pot of loose soil. (A mixture of two parts soil and one part perlite or vermiculate). Gently push the soil up around the cuttings. Place the pot in a saucer and fill the saucer with water. After about two hours dump out any water that has not been soaked up. Place this pot of cuttings in a location where it will get bright indirect light, keeping the soil damp but not wet. #2. Take your cuttings and put them in a small glass of water and place them in a sunny location, like a windowsill, changing the water, about once a week. Once you see small roots appear, take the cuttings, dip in the rooting medium and plant as you did in method #1.

www.colvinfuneralhome.com www.corncolvinfuneralhome.com Directors: Richard D. Hickrod and Mark R. Walter

Small Town Living

continued page 34

Corn-Colvin Funeral Home

323 North Main Street Oakland City, IN 47660 812-749-4021

March 2020

Page 7

Making Maple Syrup in the Sugar Shack Aunt Jemima move over. Once you’ve tasted real, freshly filtered maple syrup, those days of artificial corn syrup will be over. Unlike the thick dark stuff in the grocery stores that is labeled as syrup, the real maple syrup is smooth, light, slightly sweet and amber colored, not thick, gooey and dark brown. How would I know these tidbits? A group of retired Duke Energy workers invited me to visit a tree-filled patch of God’s country on a COLD winter day while they were tapping trees and filtering syrup. Ivan Baker and his friends have been making their own syrup for the last couple of years. Ivan got the idea from his brother, then spent hours watching YouTube videos on how to do it. He upgraded the furnace in his home and wasn’t sure what to do with the old wood burning one since it still worked just fine. The old furnace was repurposed for syrup making. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. It takes that much filtering to get rid of the impurities. First the sap is poured through a filter, much like a cheese cloth and then it gets heated. The sap is brought just to a boil, 200 degrees, then they scoop off the foam, add a ladle full from first tray to second, then a

Is Your House

BUGGED? • Termite Control • Household Pests • Rodents • Bedbugs • Mosquitoes & More

Story & Photos Jancey Smith

ladle full from center to the last, checking temperature and adding wood often. It’s a slow process, but not difficult. The guys brought lunch, took turns scooping and adding wood and After drilling a 5/16” hole, the sap drips had plenty of time into a sealed bucket for collection. to shoot the breeze. The crew started at 8 am and by 4 pm they were able to bring it into the kitchen. It’s transferred to the stove to finish so they can carefully control the temperature. At the finish, the temperature has to be 212-217 degrees. If it goes to 219-220 degrees it turns to sugar or hard crystals which are still usable, but no longer syrup. The guys were also quick to tell me of the health benefits of real syrup. It’s much higher in magnesium, calcium, potassium and zinc and a healthy alternative to sugar. They believe it’s better than honey because of the higher concentration of good stuff and less calories. It also contains many antioxidants and is an antiinflammatory and helps protect the skin. For all the effort, tapping 10 trees, cooking and filtering all day, they will get 810 half pint Mason jars for their time and trouble. Other trees can be tapped for sap,

The old furnace sectioned off into three parts for reducing sap.

Call Steve Snodgrass of

Pests Aside Pest Control 812-664-7523•812-640-0630 Certified in Pest Control in the State of Indiana by Purdue University

Page 8

1014 E State St., Princeton, IN 47670

Complete Auto Repair

812-385-5606 • 812-385-8588 Master ASE Certified

March 2020

Servicing Gibson County for 43 Years

Small Town Living

Getting Ready for a Taste of

Spring

Sm it h

not just maple. Sycamore can be used as well as walnut which produce a more nutty flavored syrup and although beech trees can be used, they take a very long to grow to the 12 inches in width required for tapping. Should you ever need a pastime and want to really get into nature, visit your local hardware store for buckets and tubing then spend some time on YouTube. Then you, too can have your very own Sugar Shack.

G r e e n h o u se s

Growing - annuals, perennials, foliage and flowering baskets and much, much more! MFAGF

LG H=L=JK:MJ?

.-( =

Randy Greubl, Gregg Lewis, Ivan Baker, & Ross Hancock

Hwy. 65 N. 7 miles to Mark Ford Road, follow Azalea path signs. Call for hours

-(( F

-,( F

812-677-0439

Susan Bobe’s s s e n d a M March ials Pizza Dine-In~Carryout~Delivery Spec 812-385-2554

ONLY

101 W. Broadway, Princeton, IN

20” Pizza

14” Pizza

2 Liter

Bread Stix 2 Liter

(up to 2 toppings) Garlic Knots (8)

Susan Bobe’s Pizza Limit One Coupon Per Customer Expires 3/31/2020

7” Pizza

with up to 2 toppings & small drink

(1 topping)

30.37(Plus Tax)

Tue-Thur 4-9 • Fri & Sat 4-10 • Sun 4-9 • Closed Mon

ONLY

17.99(Plus Tax)

Susan Bobe’s Pizza

Small Town Living

Limit One Coupon Per Customer Expires 3/31/2020

ONLY

5.61(Plus Tax)

Susan Bobe’s Pizza Limit One Coupon Per Customer Expires 3/31/2020

March 2020

Page 9

Port Side Coffee

Behind Tasting the World, One Cup at a Time the By Jancey Smith Cover photo: Kim Cordray Scenes of Area Eateries

Port Side Coffee’s roasting room. Jeremy came from a family where he grew up in the food service industry. He always played with the idea longitude from the equator. This is referred to as the of owning his own restaurant. While attending a youth coffee belt, but encompasses many countries. The soil, conference in Atlanta, Georgia, Jeremy was introduced amount of sun and water as well as temperature will to coffee from Guatemala. Then the couple went on a affect the taste, tones and flavor of the beans. Coffee mission trip to Guatemala, packed items to be grown near a volcano, due to the soil, will have a very donated at the mission and had room in their suitcases different taste than others. The temperature needs to for 25 pounds of coffee. Kali said the be consistently between 65-70 degrees. air in the luggage spinner just The Lance’s work with state side permeated the smell of coffee. importers and get shipments of 150 Customs was no problem since it pound bags from all over the world. The wasn’t a seed or powder. That’s when most popular coffees that are sold in they began looking into how to ship fundraisers are from Brazil and coffee beans to little old Owensville, Hondorus. Kali explained that coffee is Indiana. “very much like wine”, and picks up For Christmas 2017, Kali bought nuances of the region. For example, Jeremy a small coffee roaster, which coffee from Guatemala Antigua has looked like a small toaster oven. They floral tones with a hint of chocolate. She started roasting coffee beans and in went on to explain that some flavors January 2018, he began passing them don’t carry on through the roasting out to friends at work. His work buddies process. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans kept requesting more. They began to smelled like jam but once brewed took toy with the idea of selling their roasted on a hint of blueberry. Some foods can coffee as a sideline and came up with mute or enhance the natural tones in the the name and packaging. By February, beans. Eggs and bacon would mute the they bought another roaster and just blueberry tone but a blueberry muffin Jeremy & Kali Lance kept going and growing so much that would compliment this Ethiopian well. by September, they bought a commercial roaster to The roasting process also changes the tone of the keep up with the demand. This part time sideline was beans. It takes 14.5 minutes to typically roast 4.5 beginning to be a full time job. The couple prayed pounds of beans (they’re green). A lighter roast would about how to proceed, and then took the plunge by take 12 minutes and a dark, more full bodied roast going to a “roasting school” in Minneapolis, Minnesota, would take longer. Roasting temperatures can get up in November of 2018. It was an introduction into to 400 degrees, however they control the air and gas commercial roasting. flow depending on batch size and bean profile. They As with any agricultural product there are specific use a program that monitors bean, roasting drum, and conditions that effect the plant and its product. Coffee exhaust temps along with airflow but we focus more on trees grow between 23.5 degrees latitude and sensory roasting (sight, sounds, and smell).

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Work with a realtor that has a proven track record! PRESIDENTS CLUB LIFE MEMBER

2019 Awards Earned without Assistance

CAREER PRODUCTION OVER $50 MILLION F.C. Tucker Emge REALTORS®

• Performance Award Biggest Volume Increase • Top 10 Award by Volume • Most Buyers Represented • Most Sellers Represented • Most Sides Represented • Most Tucker–Tucker Sides

Linda Folsom Realtor/Broker

812.779.9293

LindaFolsomHomes.com • LindaFolsom@fcte.com • Visit me at Facebook.com/LindaFolsomRealtor Page 10 March 2020 Small Town Living

Behind the Scenes

continued

The couple has found different ways to market their coffees, since technically they don’t have a retail shop, but a roasting room. You can order online, Kali will roast the beans for 150 pound bags of coffee beans the freshest tones and you can pick it up at their roasting room. Fundraising is one avenue they discovered by helping the Owensville School raise money for band equipment. The kids made $600 for their efforts. Pop-up events and vendor fairs have been another outlet. They frequent Ft. Branch’s Makers Market, serve coffee during open houses and supplied the coffee for Lyles Station’s Farm to Table event last September. Port Side coffees can also be found in select retail shops like Dewig Meats Haubstadt and Berry’s Produce in Princeton. R’z Cafe in Ft. Branch offers a specialty blend the Lance’s created just for them. Here’s to coffees of the world close to home. Unroasted and roasted beans

Small Town Living

Spring Service Special $$ 29.88 Lube, Oil & Filter

(Most makes and models, up to 5 quarts non synthetic oil). No appointment necessary.

We welcome all warranty work on -

Phone: 618-262-5161 • Mount Carmel, IL HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 7-5:30, Sat. 8-noon Coupon required. Expires 3/31/20

March 2020

Page 11

B usiness T oday Story & Photos: Jancey Smith

In days past, women, especially young mothers had limited options for bringing in extra income or running a business of their own. Tupperware and Avon were such avenues years ago. Ladies today have discovered other options for their own purpose and financial freedom. Here are but a few stories of the ladies in business today.

Cheesey Chix Cheeseballs

Jessica (Richter) Schneider of Ft. Branch has been in the food industry since 1st grade. Her parents used to run Laura’s Catering in Warrenton. When her mom sold the catering business four years ago, Laura and Jessica frequented craft shows and found Susan Swader, selling her Cheesey Chix Cheeseballs. They were a perfect snack that could be eaten within a few days or frozen for later. Jessica found the Cheeseball Chix on Facebook and began following them. Susan, who lives in

The New Age of Business Young Women Entrepreneurs Evansville primarily made cheeseballs as a hobby. One day Jessica discovered the business was for sale because Susan was ready to retire. Jessica talked to her family and by selling her husband’s truck, they came up with the capital to buy the business in July, 2019. Because her parents had a commercial kitchen from the catering Jessica Schneider business, they were able to move the mixer, and five freezers to her parents’ house. These treats come in five flavors - the Western which has bacon and smoke in it, the Mexican which is taco flavored and is best eaten with corn chips and

The five flavors of cheeseballs

For fa st,friend ly a nd professiona l ta x prepa ra tion Com e see us in Princeton,IN

Judy Kroeger, Bette McRoberts, Tina Fryxell, Sandra Sanders (Franchisee), Marcie Armes, and Keowna Hurley.

W e file Personal returns,Farm s, Sm all businesses, Partnerships and Corporations L etus show you w hy it’s better w ith Block .

M on .- Fri.9-7 ,Sat.9-5 ,Sun .10 -2 Appoin tm en ts,drop offs an d w alk -in s w elcom e

10 5 N 2n d Ave • Prin ceton ,IN 812-6 35 -4 112

$20 20 OFF 2019 Tax Preparation - Princeton, IN only

Code 13364

Page 12

March 2020

Small Town Living

Business Today continued

can be added to tacos. Besides the Classic flavor she has a tropical one made with pineapple and coconut that goes well with vanilla wafers and the Chocoholic cheeseball that is a blend of peanut butter and chocolate, perfect served with graham crackers. If frozen, they only take a couple of hours to thaw, or can be set in the refrigerator overnight. They last six months to a year in the freezer. It’s easy to stock up for any occasion with these creamy treats. When the holidays hit, Jessica barely had time to sleep, let alone keep track of her twins. She was making cheeseballs from 7 am -10 pm from October through December. She can make 60 in a batch and can average about 400 a day. Besides just the shear numbers of making them, each has to be packaged with

labels and boxed for delivery. About 90% of her orders are through fundraisers. This is where her dad stepped in to help. He puts labels on her packages that show the type and content of each selection. Jessica doesn’t offer a “naked” cheeseball, or one without nuts. To do this properly for those with nut allergies it would be quite a process, just because of “nut dust” in the kitchen. She didn’t want the risk of making anyone sick. Even though Jessica uses Facebook and Instagram, she still has many of the customers from the previous business owner. While she does some craft shows and pop-ups, her goal is to really bring her business into Gibson County. She lives with her husband and twins in Ft. Branch and would like to have some retail space near her home. Jessica hopes to complete this idea in the next six months to a year. As any young entrepreneur would tell you, it’s good to have goals and turn dreams into realty.

Traveling to Disney Made Easy

What would a dream job be? According to Annie Dunkel of Haubstadt, it’s being a Dream Designer for My Mickey Vacation Travel. By day the mother of three teaches first grade at Haubstadt Community School and is known as The Disney Teacher. During the rest of her “free” time, she is designing a vacation for her clients so their dreams come true. When Annie was in high school Annie Dunkel on the dance team, they went to Disney to compete at Nationals at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. That’s where her love of Disney began. It continued so much that her husband, Andrew proposed to her in front of Cinderella’s Castle. She began giving advice to friends and helped them plan vacations, so much that her husband urged her to become an agent. After some research, she found My Mickey Vacation Travel where she went through extensive interviewing and training. How many times has Annie been to Disney? More

Story: Jancey Smith

times that she can count was her reply. She’s an annual pass holder and over Christmas break went there for two days of training, updated information on the Festival of Holidays and got to ride the new Star Wars attraction Rise of the Resistance. She feels it’s important to her clients to provide them with the latest information and feedback. Annie can plan trips for Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, Aulani Resort, and Adventures by Disney. She’s in training for Universal, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and Sandals. She can help with anything - from the best resorts, how many days of tickets would be best, schedule fast passes and the dining that would interest your family. So why book with a travel company instead of doing it yourself online? Annie loves the philosophy of the company. Dream designers approach their clients differently and by getting to know them, what they want and like, are able to design a dream for them instead of just booking a trip. If you’re interested in Disney or would just like to meet Annie, she’ll be hosting Disney trivia night at R’z Cafe in Ft. Branch on April 29th. It should be magical. Photo: provided

Finding Financial solutions strategies for built just for you. your financial needs Shane Minton

Member SIPC

Small Town Living

March 2020

Page 13

The SECURE Act

The SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019) was passed on Dec. 20, 2019, and is now effective for the 2020 tax year. It made many changes to how you save money for your retirement, how to use your money in retirement, and how you can better use your Section 529 plans. Some highlights follow: RMDs Start at Age 72—Before the SECURE Act, you generally had to start taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your traditional IRA or qualified retirement plans in the tax year you turned 70.5. Now you can wait until the tax year you turn age 72.

Watch for Lent Specials in the

Deli & Frozen Departments

HOMETOWN Deli Deals Shrimp Catfish Cod

Broadway & 5th Ave. Princeton • 812-386-7664

Provided by, Felicia Bowden, Owner Liberty Tax

No Age Limit for Traditional IRA Contributions—Prior law stopped you from contributing funds to a traditional IRA if you were 70.5 or older. Now, if you have earned income, you can make traditional IRA contributions at any age, just as you could and still can with a Roth IRA. This change applies to contributions made for tax years beginning after December 31, 2019. Elimination of the “Stretch” IRA Provisions—Inherited retirement plans (non-spouse beneficiaries) would no longer permit the “stretch” for beneficiaries to take RMDs over their own life expectancy. Generally, the accounts will now need to be liquidated within 10 years. Birth and Adoption of a child—Taxpayers would be able to take a distribution from a retirement plan of up to $5,000 without the 10% penalty in the event of a birth or adoption. This distribution must be within one year of the event. 529 Distributions for Student Loans—Qualified educational expenses of 529 plans will now include monies used to pay student loans. There is a $10,000 aggregate for amounts that can be distributed. Caution: To date, New York State has not adopted this Federal law. Whether you are age 35 or age 75, these new tax laws affect you.

WHAT YOU PAID AT A COMPETITOR LAST YEAR.*

*Must bring last year’s invoice. Minimum of $125. Valid at participating locations. Valid for new customers only. Cannot be combined with other offers or used toward past services. One coupon per customer and per return. Other exclusions may apply. Void where prohibited by law. Offer valid until 03/31/20.

Page 14

230 West Broadway Princeton, IN 47670 (812) 635-9158

March 2020

Small Town Living

Business Updates Local Newspaper Changes Location Photos: Jancey Smith

Parish Consulting of Owensville bought the production facility that housed the Princeton Daily Clarion when it had a press and printed many publications. The Clarion has now moved to the corner of Hart and Broadway in Princeton, where WorkOne was located for many years. WorkOne moved months ago to the IVY Tech building on outer South Main Street.

Parish Consulting in Owensville.

Longtime Colvin Employees Retire Photo provided

Joe Sandefur and Julie Harden

Colvin Funeral Home celebrated the retirement of two longtime employees. Julie Harden was a part of their team for 25 years and Joe Sandefur for 18 years. They will be greatly missed and are appreciated for their years of service to the community.

Local Editor Presented Writing Tips to Chamber

The new home of Parish Consulting.

The new location of the Clarion.

The Gibson County Chamber of Commerce held a “Lunch & Learn” Tuesday, February 18th. Star Times editor, Janice Barniak gave tips on writing news releases.

Janice Barniak

Now Serving Wabash, Lawrence, Edwards and Richland Counties • Title Insurance • Lien Searches

• Abstracts • Closings

Also Serving Gibson, Knox, Pike, Warrick, Vanderburgh and Posey Counties

Email: patti@broadway-title.com www.facebook.com/broadwaytitle

Small Town Living

812-386-1687

226 W. Broadway St. Princeton, IN 47670 March 2020 Page 15

Business Updates AARP Tax Help at Senior Center

Every Thursday during tax season, AARP volunteers help seniors with their taxes at the Gibson County Council on Aging. Sign-ups are requested.

Photos: Jancey Smith

Radiology Open House Held at GGH

On February 13th, Gibson General Hospital opened the doors to its imaging department and gave tours of their new equipment. At the end of 2018, they began 3-D mammography which allows for even earlier cancer detection. The new MRI equipment arrived at the end of 2019, and has been in use for just a month. The important point to note is that when a doctor orders a test, many can be done right here in Gibson County, close to home, with their advanced equipment.

Darla and her volunteers are busy with tax prepartion.

New Yarn Shop Coming to the Square

At the corner of S. Hart St. and Broadway on the Princeton square a new shop is opening. Remodeling has been underway for a few months and the Little House of Yarn should be opening soon.

Angie Snodgrass (right) explains the new Air Coil technology (blanket) to her grandmother, Zelma Phillips. This is the only one in Southern Indiana and allows for an X-ray of a large area.

ANNUAL MEETING “ To all members: Notice is hereby given that the annual meeting of the members of Gibson County Farm Bureau Inc. will be held Fort Branch Senior Center, 112 N Railroad St., Fort Branch, IN 47648, on Tuesday March 17, at 6:00 p.m. There will be a brief business session, and such other business as may properly come before the meeting.” All members are invited to attend. RSVP by 3/10/2020 to 812-385-2587 et 2314 or email jennifer.thomas@infb.com

Page 16

Beth McGraw explained the various imaging units and what each is used for.

Looking For a Job? Need Employees?

Call Today!

Modern Personnel Services (812)386-5627

March 2020

104 N. Third Avenue • Princeton, IN

Small Town Living

By Guest Writer, Shawn Keith

Backyard Birds - Passenger Pigeons

The song “FreeBird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd is not really about birds, but more of a “break-up song” about a guy needing to be as free as a bird. I felt the opening line to this song. “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?” was a very fitting question for what happened to this bird. I am talking about the Passenger Pigeon and how it became extinct in 1914. Its common name is derived from the French word passager, meaning “passing by”, due to the migratory habits of the species. Also known as the “Wild Pigeon” the Passenger Pigeon population numbers were once in the three to five billions at the time the Europeans discovered North America. Early explorers and settlers frequently mentioned Passenger Pigeons in their writings, with statements such as “countless numbers” and “infinite multitudes” and flight migration that was described as being “about a mile in width and taking several hours to pass overhead”. In John James Audubon’s writings he mentions their migration, their speed in flight and their appetite. Their speed of flight was over 60 mph and their appetite depended on huge forests for beechnuts, acorns,

chestnuts, seeds, and berries. Worms and insects supplemented their diet in spring and summer. Their migration was dependent on locating food supplies. John James Audubon writes; “The multitudes of Wild Pigeons in our woods are astonishing. Indeed, after having viewed them so often, and under so many circumstances, I even now feel inclined to pause, and assure myself that what I am going to relate is fact. Yet I have seen it all, and that too in the company of persons who, like myself, were struck with amazement.” “In the autumn of 1813, I left my house at Henderson, on the banks of the Ohio, on my way to Louisville. In passing over the Barrens a few miles beyond Hardensburgh, I observed the Pigeons flying from north-east to south-west, in greater numbers than I thought I had ever seen them before, and feeling an inclination to count the flocks that might pass within the reach of my eye in one hour, I dismounted, seated myself on an eminence, and began to mark with my pencil, making a dot for every flock that passed. In a Continued page 38

ROGERS HOME EXTERIORS

Princeton 812-385-3304 Mt Carmel 618-263-4907 Dave 812-760-4419 In business for over 40 years; providing home improvements to southern Indiana and Illinois. Specializing in: VINYL WINDOW • VINYL SIDING • METAL SIDING SEAMLESS GUTTER • ASPHALT ROOFING METAL ROOFING • DOOR INSTALLATION PORCHES & DECKS - BOTH WOOD & COMPOSITE

MAKING YOUR HOME ALL YOU WANT IT TO BE

rogershome@outlook.com • rogershomeexteriors.com

LIFETIME WARRANTY

REPLACEMENT WINDOWS:

REPLACE YOUR WOOD WINDOWS WITH NEW WHITE VINYL, DOUBLE INSULATED WINDOWS; TILT-IN DOUBLE SASHES FOR EASY CLEANING, DOUBLE GLASS, LOCK, AND SCREEN ANY SIZE UP TO 3-FT WIDE X 5-FT TALL

FOR ONLY $209.00 Price Includes Materials & Installation

Small Town Living

March 2020

Page 17

Our Community: Clubs & Organizations The Revitalization of Maple Hill Cemetery

By basic definition the word community means a group of people who share something in common. This applies to a group of citizens in Princeton who recently came together to improve the condition of Maple Hill Cemetery. This 18 acre resting spot dates back to 1900 and is located on the south of Princeton at the end of East Ohio Street and reaches almost to County Road 150 East (Co-op Road). There are currently 4,000 of our citizens resting there with 50,000 spots available. However, it has been in serious need of upkeep. When Brenda Moore went to visit her mother’s grave on the 2nd anniversary of her passing last August, she was appalled to see overgrown grass, downed tree limbs and that a dryer that had been dumped there. Brenda took pictures, shared them on social media and organized a clean up. There were 10-15 volunteers that came with mowers, weed eaters, chain saws and rakes to help. This was just the beginning. Since that time, this band of concerned citizens united, formed a nonprofit organization and raised the funds to buy the cemetery. They now have a board of directors consisting of five members - Mike Moore President, Clint Smith Secretary, Amity Waldroup

Story & Photos: Jancey Smith

Treasurer and Tim Perry and Alex Boxell. There are also 30 volunteers that developed three committees: sales and marketing, fundraising, and maintenance to take care of the land. Their present goal is to raise funds to purchase equipment like lawn mowers, weed eaters, weed killer and new trash barrels. Once the basic maintenance of tree trimming, mowing as well as brush and trash removal has been completed, they hope to then work on beautification. They are looking for donations of money or equipment and plan on an Open House near Memorial Day. They may be contacted through their Facebook page or talk to any board member. Emma Wilson, Brenda & Mike Moore review the cemetery map.

NO NEED TO WAIT

ON YOUR TAX REFUND!

Come in today with $10 down you can take it home today!*

*See Associates for Details

100 Days Same as Cash NEW 12 months no interest ITEMS

with qualifying credit!

ARRIVING WEEKLY

Appliances, Home Furnishings & More! Page 18

(see associate for details)

1607 W. BROADWAY, PRINCETON, IN 812-385-5757 • Owned and Operated Debra Walker HOURS: Monday thru Friday 10AM to 6PM Saturday 10AM-5PM • Sunday 1PM - 5PM

March 2020

Small Town Living

SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER Stop in and CHECK OUT our FULL LINE of Stihl® & Hustler® Power Products! We have everything to make sure you’re ready for spring! STARTING AT

2899

$ $

3 year warranty

A High Performance Zero-Turn At A Great Value.

NOW is the time to schedule your Spring Service! Get ready now for when the grass starts growing!

STIHL TRIMMER FS56 RC-E

STIHL ELECTRIC PRESSURE WASHER RE90

STIHL CHAINSAW MS170

$179.99

MEMMER’S Hardware and Outdoor Power

Small Town Living

NEW

Hwy. 41 N. at Lyles Station Rd., Princeton, IN

812-385-2641 Mon - Fri 7am-6pm Saturday 7am-5pm Sunday 10am-4pm

March 2020

Page 19

STORE CLOSING SOFA

STORE CLO PRICE

SING

$369

LOVESE

AT STORE C LOSING PRICE

$349

REGULAR PRICE $699

REGULA R PRICE $6 49

from warehous inventory

from wareh ou inventory se

pics are for illustration purposes

Limited Quantities!

So many deals, So little time, HURRY & SAVE

First Come First SAVE ONLY A YS FEW DA LEFT!! NOTHING HELD BACK EVERYTHING MUST GO!!

UP TO 70% Rocker/Recliner

STORE CLOSING PRICE

$229

REGULAR PRICE $599 from warehouse inventory

Richard’s Furniture & Mattress Warehouse

If you didn’t buy it from Richard’s you probably paid too much!

Page 20

March 2020

Small Town Living

QUITTING BUSINESS

pics are for illustration purposes

Make TAX go twice your MONEY as far!

SAVE

20% - 30% - 40%…70% OFF RETAIL PRICES OFF RETAIL PRICES

Some items sold at wholesale prices or below cost (rugs)

NO layaways, no reasonable offer will be refused

STORE HOURS Mon.-Sat. 9-5, Closed Sun. 812-779-2300 NO CREDIT NEEDED • EZ FINANCING FOR ALL 521 Grave St., Patoka, IN

Small Town Living

March 2020

Page 21

The Cooking Corner

Cooking w ith Beer

by Jancey Smith

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and the great man who ran those snakes out of Ireland, today’s space is donated to his day. I totally appreciate getting rid of those long squirmy things that scare a yelp out of you. I don’t care that they’re part of the food chain that eats rodents. I don’t want to see them - ever. To celebrate with the Irish and all the other folks who participate in the festivities, I experimented in cooking with beer. I’ve had mixed results, from “Ah, that’s nicely done,” to

Invest YourTa x Refund Stock YourFreezerW ith M ea t!

~ H alfBeef~ ~ Front Q uarter Beef~ ~ H ind Q uarter Beef~ ~ W hole Or H alfH og ~

Callfor D etails!

Cu stom Bu tcherin g by a ppoin tm en t H ours -M on.-Fri.8 -5 :3 0 •S at.8 -2 pm 9 2 0 8 W .S tate Rd.1 6 5 ,Owensville,IN

8 1 2 -7 2 4 -2 3 3 3

S ee our website at kennydew igm eats.com

Is It Time for Help? Let us help with these basic, Non-Medical needs. • Errands • Personal Care • Housework • Companionship Unity Personal Care Services, LLC 1803 West Midland Ave • Princeton, IN 47670

812.386.3259 • 812.664.3139

Page 22

“Well, that’s OK, but why did I bother?” and of course there were a few just chalked up to “Been there, done that.” In the “Why did I bother?” category is Beer Can Chicken. The hubby and I have tried this in A bowl of bangers and mashed the oven and on the grill. We’ve used beer, wine and soft drinks. It all tastes the same to me. It adds moisture to the chicken which is vital, but flavor, not from what I can tell. The dry rub or spices on the outside of the bird give it more flavor than it sitting pretty on an aluminum can. (It is a funny sight to see, though.) There have been a few “beer” recipes that I’ve tried that were OK, but I got the feeling of “close but no cigar.” When I tried beer cheese soup, the taste was good but the consistency was questionable and I just had the feeling that it should’ve been better. Beer bread went about the same way for me, except that it was more fun. When you pour a beer into a flour mixture it really does react (Chem. 101). It bubbled up right nice, but the bread turned out denser, more like a soda bread, than I expected so I had that nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. When it comes to the definitely not right, “been there done that” section, I failed miserably at the common British fare of fish and chips. In American terms this is just beer battered fish and French fries. Anyone from the Midwest should be able to fry fish, but not me! Can you say disaster? It fell apart and stuck to the pan so badly we had fish bits. Red Lobster will not be hiring me anytime soon. I even went to bed hungry that night.

Our Family Caring For Your Family

Covering Gibson, Warrick, Posey, Vanderburg, Spencer & Perry Counties.

March 2020

Licensed and Insured Locally Owned and Operated Payment Options Private Pay, Medicaid Waiver, & Choice

Small Town Living

The Cooking Corner Continued

Now there are a few beer dishes that I’ve conquered nicely. Country-style boneless ribs are one of the easiest slow cooker dishes to do. One of our sons has them perfected. If you spice them up a little, cook them with onions and bell peppers and simmer them in beer, you can have some very tender, tasty pieces of pork. By far my favorite dish using beer is in cooking brats. They go together like peas and carrots - brats in beer. I simmer the brats with onions and peppers to keep them moist and when it’s grilling season we brown them off. This is similar to how the Irish make Bangers and Mash, which in American terms are brats and mashed potatoes with onion gravy. I tried this the other week and had moderate success (I needed a better brat). Once the brats were browned, I added a bunch of onions and after cooking a bit, added the beer. When it reduced down, I pulled the brats out, added a little cornstarch/water mix to thicken the gravy and served it all over mashed potatoes. The basic flavor was very good and it’s quite easy to do. Look for a good polish sausage or one with garlic and/or onion flavors added. Here’s a simple Irish dish that you can give a whirl if you feel like trying something a little different.

Bangers & Mashed Ingredients-

6-8 sausage links in casings 2 T. butter 1 large onion 1 beer 1 T. flour 2 T. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 - 1 cup chicken broth salt and pepper

Preparation-

Heat 1 T. butter in large skillet. Add sausage and brown on all sides, 1-2 minutes. Add onion and cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Slowly pour in beer and simmer 10-12 minutes. Remove meat and set aside. In small bowl mix 1 T. flour and 1 T. melted butter. Pour into skillet and stir to combine. Mixture will be thick. Add Worcestershire sauce and slowly stir in broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and return meat to onion gravy. Let simmer a few minutes and then serve over mashed potatoes.

C om e S hop W ith U s! New Spring Items Have Arrived!

METRO CARPETS Residential ~ Commercial 1286 W. 150 S. Hwy. 41 N. Princeton, IN 47670 Phone: 812-385-2279 Small Town Living

Holiday & Farmhouse Decor, Lanterns, Candleberry Candles, Jewelry, Baby Gifts, Novelty T-shirts, Indiana items, Shawls, Ponchos & Scarves

1808 Sherman Drive (First Floor Lobby) Princeton, IN • Hours: Mon-Fri 9-4

March 2020

Page 23

What’s Happening!!

Treasure Hunt Drawing

Ft. Branch VFW Aux. Breakfast

VFW #2714 Ft. Branch Thursdays, 7:00 pm Tickets are on sale Plate specials 5-7 pm

Saturday, March 14th 7 - 10 am full breakfast plates $7, Carryouts available

Salvation Army Princeton Tuesdays, 9:30-10:30

Saturday, March 7th 7 am - noon St. Joe gym

Coloring & Coffee

St. Joe Yard Sale

OC Country Club Steak Night

Saturday, March 7th & 21st, 4 - 8 pm Carryout Available

Treasure Hunt Drawing

Eagles, Princeton Wednesdays, 7:00 pm Open to the Public

Encore of Color

ANNUAL AG DAY BREAKFAST Saturday, March 21 6:00am-10:00am

at Princeton Knights of Columbus on Broadway next to new theater.

There will be an Legislative Forum during breakfast. This will begin at 8:00 am and is cosponsored by the Gibson County Chamber of Commerce.

BREAKFAST IS $2

for scrambled eggs, famous K of C sausage, biscuits & gravy, and coffee & juice.

Final Art Show & Sale of Sue Freudenberg’s Art Saturday, April 25th R’z Cafe Loft 1 - 6 pm Questions call 812-779-7391

Knights of Columbus Bingo

Every Tuesday, Doors open 6 pm, Haubstadt Open to the Public

Food Pantry for Seniors

Gibson County Council on Aging, Princeton Wednesday, March 11th & 25th, 1 - 3 pm

OC Good Shepherd UMC Comm Lunch 218 W. Harrison St., Oakland City Tuesday, March 17th 11 am-1 pm weather permitting

C ounty F ish F ries

Princeton Knights of Columbus - Friday, March 27th

& April 3rd, 5-7 pm, Fish, green beans or au gratin potatos, slaw, hush puppies, applesauce, dessert & drink, Open to the public Princeton Elks - Friday, March 13 & 27th, fish dinners $10, shrimp & chicken $11. 6-8 pm. Call to reserve a dinner after 4pm 812-385-2515. Carryout available. Open to the public St. James Church Haubstadt - Friday, March 13th, 4:30 pm. Open to the public VFW #2714 Ft. Branch - Friday, April 10th, 4:30-7:30 Fish plate w/mac & cheese, baked beans, slaw cornbread & dessert $10. Shrimp & chicken strip baskets. Oakland City Lions Club - Friday, April 10th, 11-5pm

Is Open ~

Serving Fresh Catfish Fillets & Fiddlers Every Night Except Saturday

12491 S. 200 E., Haubstadt, IN • 812-867-3216

Page 24

March 2020

Hours: Tue.-Thur. 4-9, Fri. & Sat. 4-10 Closed Sunday & Monday

Small Town Living

What’s Happening!!

Knights of Columbus Bingo Open to Public every Thursday Princeton K of C 6 pm

Yard Sale

Presb. Free Comm. Meal

Salvation Army Princeton Corner Prince & March 6, 13, 20, State St., Princeton, & 27th Sat. March 21st 7:30 - 1 pm 11am-1pm

Free Clothing Bank

Salvation Army Free Community Meal

Oak Grove Church Gymnasium, Oakland City Gibson St., Princeton every Tuesday, 9 - 11 am Tuesday, March 3, 10 & 17th Free, new and used clothing 5 - 6 pm

GCCOA SWIRCA Lunches

Senior Center, Princeton Senior Lunches $3.50 11:30am daily must preregister

Gibson County Youth Theatre

Auditions for Summer Musical PCHS Auditorium Apr. 3rd - 5th

Events at Gibson General Hospital

Fun at the Gibson County Fairgrounds

March 4th-5th, 2020 Purdue Ext UAV drone program March 14th, 2020 Gibson General Health Foundation Mardi Gras Gala, Toyota Event Center

“For the Perfect Fit . . . Come See Jenny”

Alterations and More 123 E. State Street • Princeton, IN

HOURS: Tues., Thurs. & Fri. 10am-6pm

Jenny 812.582.4335 Like us on Facebook @AlterationsandMore219

Small Town Living

Tuesday, March10th 11am - 12:30 pm

NITTWITS Meeting Dick Clark’s Restaraunt Saturday, March 14th noon

White Rabbit Coffee & Bake Sale Gibson County Council on Aging Thursday, March 5th 11 am - 2 pm

Blood Drive

Vendor Fair

Old Ft. Branch Gym Saturday, March 7th, 9 am-5 pm Raffle items, Baked Goods Crafters

JOY Club Bingo

Salvation Army, Princeton March 14th & April 4th 4-6 pm

St. Patrick Family Game & Card Party

Sunday, March 22nd Noon, Sts. Peter & Paul Cafeteria Admission $5 or $15 family, sandwiches & Chinese auction

K of C, Princeton Monday, March 2nd 2 - 6 pm

March 4th, 2020 Heartland Uniforms, 9-4 April 1st, 2020 31 Bags & Gifts, 9-4

Prom Dress Alterations, Sewing, Mending, Repairs, and More

Mackey United Methodist Church Community Meal

Sausage Grind

K of C, Princeton Saturday, March 14th, 6 -11 am

PRESENTS

What it’s About

A stage adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s novel, The Outsiders, is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The play tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider.

See the Show March 27-28 @ 7:00 pm March 29 @ 2:00 pm April 3-4 @ 7:00 pm

Order Tickets Online at BroadwayPlayers.org

March 2020

Page 25

Picturing the Past

Emge Meat Packing Company

Story and photos: Greg Wright

Give me Emge! That short but effective slogan was adopted by the Emge family early in the 20th century. John Knap who sold meat at his meat shop in Fort Branch, Indiana, would sell out to Peter and Barbara Emge in March, 1900. By 1904, that location was deemed too small and a new brick building was constructed by the Emge’s on the east side of the railroad tracks across from the C&EI railroad depot. The south part of this building became to be the Fort Branch Post Office with the north section designated as Emge Meats. The upper floor was designed as a residence for the Emge family. Retail customers could purchase the freshest meats as well as a wholesale division that began deliveries in the local communities near Ft. Branch. Sometimes by horse and wagon and other times delivery was made to towns like Princeton via the traction line. As business grew the railroad also provided the means to transport goods from the shop to other towns in the area. In 1906, Peter Emge had decided to purchase a

The massive expanse of the Emge Packing Company Plant on the West side of Ft. Branch in the 1950’s.

large 40 acre tract of land southwest of the city of Fort Branch. By 1914, business had grown so rapidly that a new building for slaughter and manufacturing was built. Both of these buildings were made from concrete blocks made at the site. Also around this time new refrigeration equipment was installed which was some of the first in the area. The Emge’s built a new brick home near the 40 acres in 1917, and by 1919, several more buildings were added. During construction of a meat curing structure in 1922, the entire plant was destroyed by fire. Work began immediately to rebuild. In 1924, the retail meat market Continued next page

Fast, Friendly, Dependable Tax Preparation

Get MOORE & Pay LESS • Bank Products Available

Hours: M-F 9-5 • Sat by Appt Vicki Dunning E.A. (Accountant)

Moore Tax Service LLC

411 N. Embree ~ Princeton 812-385-3232 www.mooretaxplus.com

Page 26

March 2020

Small Town Living

wholesale meat distributing was expanded. Two full-that was in downtown Fort Branch was sold and wholesale meat distribution was expanded. Two full-time men were employed working in the Evansville and Vincennes markets. In 1928, the demands of federal government inspectors would mean additional buildings and amenities were added. The plant was in complete federal inspection compliance by 1935, and products could now be sold nationwide. Jobs were hard to find during the depression but people still had to eat. This is why Emge Packing Company was able to continue to thrive during a tough time in American history. When war broke out in 1941, a large percentage of meat production was taken over by the federal government and products were shipped throughout the world to our armed forces. When the war ended additional sales areas were implemented in Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. Peter and Barbara Emge both passed away in 1947, and by 1949, the company had purchased a packing plant in Anderson, Indiana. By the 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Emgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workforce had grown to nearly 1000 people and by 1990, was one of the largest privately owned companies in Indiana with assets totaling over $200 million. On November 20th, 1990, the Emge family sold to Excel Corporation who would operate the facility until the plant closed in the summer of 1999 ending its 87-year-existence. Two massive fires

~ Recycle Tips ~

The main purpose of recycling is to be able to reuse the materials that make up one item in order to make up another item of the same materials. Which brings us to the word of the month: Contamination. Contamination can mean many things. For cardboard, grease (like from pizza boxes), water, and food residue contaminate the cardboard and it cannot be recycled properly. When it comes to plastic, we need to make sure other plastic numbers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get mixed in with the #1 and #2 plastics because that introduces new resins into the mix. Aluminum cans are separated from the other metal cans due to their lighter properties. So be sure to keep other metal out of the aluminum. The biggest contamination in paper is moisture. We do our best to keep the paper nice and dry. Here at Gibson County Solid Waste, we do our best to assist in reducing contamination - but we need your help! The best ways to help: be sure to sort your items before tossing them into the bins at the stations; and be sure your cardboard is clean. Thank you so much! Remember: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle For more information visit us on our Facebook Page: Gibson County Solid Waste OR http://www.gibsoncountysolidwaste.com

in 2007 and 2010 prompted local citizens to demand a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hazardousâ&#x20AC;? site clean up. In September of 2013, the land was taken over by A&T Concrete Company. Sons, fathers, and grandfathers all made their living, each following in the elderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s footsteps, working for this iconic local brand. Bonnie Johnson and the Princeton Public Library Genealogy Department assisted in this and most all of the stories each month written for Small Town Living.

Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day at the Masons Photo Jancey Smith

For 49 years now, the Princeton Masonic Lodge has hosted the Knights of Columbus for Presidentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Day. They share a meal and entertainment. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speaker was Mayor Greg Wright who presented some interesting local facts and history. The Knights of Columbus will host the Masons on Columbus Day.

The Mayor answered several history questions.

The Masons prepared and served dinner to both organizations

IRA? Don't wait to contribute. Tyler A Brengman Financial Advisor

1418 W Broadway Princeton, IN 47670 812-386-6908

7\OHU $ %UHQJPDQ

'JOBODJBM "EWJTPSedwardjones.com 8 #SPBEXBZ 1SJODFUPO */ ZZZ HGZDUGMRQHV FRP

www.edwardjones.com

Member SIPC

0HPEHU 6,3&

Small Town Living March 2020

Page 27

years-old and betting my work was questionable but Grandpa would have never told me that! Another fun memory was sitting on the porch all About the Author morning waiting on Grandma Minnis to pull up in her By Jeff Minnis new car. She told us she was going to Evansville to Since I started writing articles for buy a brand new Chevrolet Monte Carlo. I jumped up Small Town Living I’ve had several people ask me to every time a car would turn the corner. Well I saw this do one on myself and how I got started with my love of BIG baby blue Cadillac Coupe Deville turn the corner cars and collecting anything auto or and thought it was the most beautiful car I motorcycle related. Since I was born in had ever seen. Then it pulled in the drive March, I thought this would be a good and there was Grandma with a big old issue to tell a little about me. smile on her face. She loved that car and It all started with a a little tradition drove it even when she was in her 90’s. It many people did back in the day of was 1976 when she bought it and to this driving your new “or new to you” car day her car is still in our family. The old around the courthouse square to show Caddy brought my son home from the it off. The first car I remember doing this hospital when he was born, drove little ritual in was an old rusted out through town behind him in his Starsky & early ‘60’s Ford Falcon station wagon. It Hutch Torino honking its triple note when wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t new but Dad he got married and led Grandma’s funeral and I were pretty proud to take our lap procession when she passed away. around the square! Seeing our majestic I have to give a LOT of credit to my court house and all the thriving Grandma Pfeiffer, We never missed the Jeff, Jim & Kevin Minnis businesses also got me hooked on our World of Wheels as long as it was held at small town. We made a quick stop at Murphey’s Dime Roberts stadium! Just about every Saturday she and I Store so Dad could buy me a new car. It was a would go to Evansville shopping, hitting her favorite Matchbox which helped fuel my collecting / hoarding stores and taking me to all the BMX bike shops. After addiction. grabbing a bite to eat, we would then hit the car lots. Another big factor luring me to cars was spending We spent many hours looking at cars, calling each Saturday mornings from the time I was old enough to other talking about cars and making plans for the next walk until I was 7-years-old at my grandfather’s Gulf day because she saw a car she just couldn’t live station in Oakland city. He passed away in 1972, and without! I also need to give Grandma Pfeiffer credit for they sold the station. I’m quite confident if he had lived my lead foot. She received two speeding tickets when longer I would have taken over the station and still own she was in her 80’s. it today. It was always a thrill for a young boy to get to For my collecting side, that comes 100% from my pull the lever to raise a car on the lift so Grandpa could Dad. Through the years Mom and I never knew what work on it. Then there was the sound of the bell ringing he would drag home next! Dad was the original picker. let us know a car had pulled up the the pump and We would take off on drives and many times we would running out to help him pump gas, clean windows and pull up to a house, he’d get out and knock on their check customers’ oil. I’m sure when I wasn’t looking he door. He’d ask if whatever caught his eye in their back went back and re-did the windows. I was around 5continued page - 33

Flashbacks from Yesterday

BLIMPIE COUPON

Buy 1 6-inch Combo, Get 1 6-inch Sandwich

FREE of equal or less value

Excludes $6 Deals, Must present coupon, Not valid with other offers. Limit 1 per person, per visit. Princeton Blimpies only.

Page 28

Every Day is Special at ~

Monday -

FREE Cookie Day 6-inch Club Sandwich Combo w/Drink & Side $5 Tuesday - Blimpie Best Combo w/Drink & Side $5 Wednesday - Ruben (sandwich only) $3.99

Thursday - Wrap Day (excludes BLIMP) $2.99 Friday - Foot Long

Sunday -

Southwest Wrap Friday (excludes BLIMP) Combo w/Drink & $1.00 OFF each Side $5 Saturday - Salad Saturday (excludes BLIMP) all salads $4.69

105 N. 1st Ave • Princeton, IN

March 2020

812-386-5804

Hours: M-F:8-9 Sat: 9-9 & Sun:10-9

Small Town Living

6th Annual

GOLF BENEFIT Hosted by

Thursday, May 21st, 2020 Cambridge Golf Course Registration/Lunch 10:00 am Tee Time 11:00 am 4:00 pm Awards

Lunch y: ed B Provid

Awards 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place Teams 1st – All Ladies Team

Closest to Pin Prize • Longest Putt Prize • Longest Drive Mulligans and 50/50 Drawing

INDIVIDUAL $75 • FOURSOME $300 HOLE SPONSOR $150

PRIZE

($100 if providing foursome) SPONSORSHIP $200 (Only 4 available)

“Helping individual with intellectual / developmental disabilities THRIVE since 1963”

$10,000 HOLEIN-ONE CHANCE Sponsored By:

All proceeds go directly to supporting services to local residents with developmental disabilities. For more information contact Melissa Walden | 812.677.6045 | Melissa.Walden@ArcSWIN.org

Small Town Living

March 2020

Page 29

L ocal T alent S potlight

Kenna Elpers

Story & Photos by Guest Writer Jennifer MacKay

Kenna Elpers – Local Country Girl in the Country Music World How many 16-year old juniors in high school do you know that can say they have been on the big stage opening for country music stars like Maddie and Tae or Craig Campbell? Well North Posey Junior Kenna Elpers can say that! Kenna Elpers grew up in Southern Indiana’s small town of Cynthiana and is currently a junior at North Posey High School. Many kids her age are worried about dating, parties and other school activities. This girl is too busy booking her next gig! Kenna knew at a very young age that she wanted to be a country music singer. Her family spoke of Kenna at age three singing and making up random songs about anything that crossed her path. Around age six she officially announced to her family that she wanted to be a country music star. Kenna’s instrument of choice is the guitar but recently she started learning the piano as well. Three years ago she started taking guitar lessons from Evansville Musician Chris Tapp when she was just 13years-old and now barely puts her guitar down. When a song comes to mind, she grabs her guitar and goes to work on the rest of the lyrics. Even a big exam won’t stop her. She recalled a time when she was taking a big test at school and lyrics popped into her head. She started scribbling the lyrics down on her test paper and advised her teacher that she would need that back. Although the teacher would not give her back the test to keep, Kenna was allowed to have it back long

GOOD FOOD, COLD BEER, GOOD TIMES Craft Beer • Burgers Catering • Banquet Room

enough to copy down the lyrics she earlier scribbled out. Growing up in a small southern Indiana town and having the full country experience has been a helpful benefit to Kenna’s flourishing career. Her corn field life and family connections in Posey and Gibson counties’ keep her connected and in tune to her southern roots. That in turn comes out in her passion for singing as well as her genre of choice, country music. Kenna is known to perform one, two and sometimes even three times per week on a regular basis. She does this all while juggling school, student council, National Honor Society and volunteering for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization. This leaves her with little time for any other hobbies, but she doesn’t seem to mind because she has made music her life! Her first album was released in 2018 and CDs can be purchased at her shows. Her songs can also be found on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon Music and YouTube. Kenna performs a lot of her original songs as well as many cover songs originated by other artists and plans to roll out more of her original music for her fans and followers in the near future. There are also plans for a second album release, quite possibly this year! Kenna credits her family and musician mentors as her biggest supporters. Specifically her mom is appreciated for being her soundboard for her music, helping her critique her music in a constructive way that really helps Kenna fine tune the finished product.

COME ON toforKlinkers Beer &

DOWN Burgers for

A NEW BURGER Every Week In March With Beer Specials, Too!

hometown bar & grill

Gift Certificates Available

Open: Mon-Fri 11:00AM • Sat Noon

• 1115 South Main, Princeton, IN • 812-385-5260

Page 30

March 2020

Small Town Living

L ocal T alent S potlight

continued

Dolly Parton is noted as her biggest musical influence and it is a dream of hers to meet Dolly one day. One fan recently met her at a show and presented her with a signed by Dolly photo that is 45-years-old because he felt that Dolly would want a fan like Kenna to have it more. Listening to Dolly’s story coming from the middle of nowhere and ending up a country music idol inspires Kenna to continue pushing for her own dream. Kenna stated, “It shows if you believe in yourself and work hard enough you will get your dream.” The one thing she wishes for is to meet Dolly Parton one day. Kenna added, “If I could talk to anyone for 30 minutes, it would be Dolly Parton.” Kenna is a rising star for sure. She is already getting recognized when she visits Nashville, Tennessee as a young celebrity. Her mom told me a story of a time they visited some places in Nashville to listen to some music with the family. They felt they were getting some stares and worried they were in someone’s seat and went to move and were abruptly stopped by a young woman who asked if she was Kenna Elpers. This kicked off a photo session of many fans who were happy to run into this talented young performer they all followed. The horizon is bright for Ms. Kenna Elpers. She feels so blessed since just a few short years ago she was the one reaching out to venues to play in but the tables have now turned and she is the one being sought out by venues to show off her talent. Kenna plans to attend college when she graduates high school and has looked at many schools in the Nashville area to follow her dream of being a country music star, while obtaining possibly a degree in music business so she has something to fall back on and to be more knowledgeable in this ever changing industry. She also understands the importance of having a job that you love and wants to see how far she can take her love of music and performing. Kenna has two quotes that have inspired her continues to live by, “where words fail, music speaks” and “she believed she could, so she did.” For a 16-year-old

with a budding music career she is definitely holding her own in a hard industry to break into. I have no doubt she will soon be an even bigger star than she already is. She shows a level of maturity that you do not often find in someone her age and she handles it with Kenna Elpers at the Nesbit Inn grace and common sense. Kenna has a lot in the works for this summer so stay tuned in to her website and Facebook pages for future events and shows. You may even see a few new singles come out and eventually a second album release! If you would like to book Kenna Elpers for a show, go to her website: http://www.KennaElpers.com or her Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/ kennaelpersmusic .

Tribute to Evan Twitty

Photo: Jancey Smith

The local music world recently lost a great young talent. Evan Twitty died in a car accident on February 8th. He was part of the Wood & Wire band and was only 18-years-old. He had great musical talent and will be missed.

There’s No Time like

TA X TIME

“Financing solutions available for ANY credit situation” Now offering customer detail services.

812-386-8282

to get a

NEW RIDE !

820 S. Main St, Princeton, IN 47670

Get the best deal from Princeton Auto Parke

www.theautoparke.com

Hours: Mon-Fri: 8-5 • Sat.: 8-3

Small Town Living

March 2020

Page 31

Sports I nsider

Photos: Jancey Smith

OCU Pu t on CheerCa m p

Oakland City University held their annual cheer camp on Saturday, February 8th from 9 a.m. until noon. Fortytwo girls, ages five to twelve, from around the county attended. They were invited to come back the next week and perform at half time for the OCU basketball game.

The girls were broken into three age groups for easier instruction.

3RD ANNUAL

NIGHT FOR KIDS

Waiting your turn isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always easy, but these young ones found fun ways to pass the time.

Night For Kids helps to fund grants for teachers in North Gibson School Corporation!

Saturday, April 4th, 2020

Social Time/Auction starts at 5:30 PM Dinner served at 6:00 PM Princeton Community Middle School Cafeteria Tickets are Pre-Sale only and will not be sold at the door.

Tickets can be purchased for $25 from any NGEF Board member, from any of North Gibson Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offices, or Old National Bank Princeton Branch Ticket Sales End Mon. 3/30

Alka Family Chiropractic Center Dr. Kay Lynn Alka

618-262-4994 CHIROPR A ILY

IC CT

FA M

2103 West 9th St., Mt. Carmel, IL

HOURS: Mon and Wed 7:30a.m.-5:50p.m. Tues and Thur 12-7p.m.

Page 32

Learning to build a human pyramid has been a basic cheerleading move. Sometimes it takes a little help, and a lot of practice.

Answers to the Andy Quiz -

1. D 4. D

2. C 5. C

3. A

Imagine what you could do if you felt good all the time. Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Medicare participating provider. Most insurance welcome.

March 2020

Small Town Living

Francisco Lions Club Held Car Show Photo: Jancey Smith

When the weather isn’t nice enough for an outdoor car show, have a picture car show instead. That’s what the Francisco Lions Club did Saturday, February 22nd.

The group awaits the winners of the picture car show.

Fil-Am Group Helped Their Homeland Photo: submitted

The Gibson and Wabash Counties FilAm Group had their 1st Valentine’s Party for a Cause Saturday, Feb. 15th. The proceeds were donated to people in the Philippines who Fil-Am organizers were affected by the recent earthquake, typhoon and Taal Volcano victims.

Flashbacks from Yesterday Continued

yard was for sale. He loved fixing up old things especially antique motorcycles or making his own unique creations re-purposing old items. I have carried on his tradition or should I say addiction. One of our family traditions has always been attending the Friday night Cruise-Ins on the square. I’m pretty sure Dad never missed one and loved visiting with people just like my son and myself. Dad never cared if he won a trophy or not, he taught us the real trophies are the lifelong friends you make, not something that is going to collect dust on a shelf or is packed in a box. I can attest to this. Some of my best friends are ones I met at shows over the years and that ladies and gentlemen is PRICELESS!!

Hart Celebrates 96 years Photo: Julia Rahman

Mary Hart recently turned 96 years old. She is an active patron of the Senior Center and organizes the Eucher players there. She also manages a Halsey card group that plays at Dairy Queen on the 1st Tuesday of the month and each Friday.

TUNE INTO

94.3

for LIVE coverage of Princeton Tiger Football & Boys Basketball

Jeff Lankford & Ken Beckerman

Country 98.1 NewsTalk 94.3

lori@wrayradio.com 812-386-1250 x3

Small Town Living March 2020

Page 33

Short Stories from our Locals A Penny for Your Thoughts

I reminisce in my mind that fateful morning when my life changed forever. I have always loved to work outside in my flowerbeds. The sun warmed my back as I knelt down to turn the soil in the new bed I was digging in front of our little farmhouse that Bryan and I had just purchased. The dirt sifted through my now grubby hands. I felt a piece of cloth and loosened the dirt that surrounded it. My annoyance turned to surprise when I pulled an old cloth bag up to the sunlight. Parts of it disintegrated as I pulled the string at the top to open it up. The bag held three glass jars with lids that were crusted shut from the years of being buried in the ground. The lids had markings on them that I couldn’t make out but I could see there were coins inside. Several minutes later, Bryan and I were able to get the jars open and our coffee stained kitchen table was covered with old coins. After a few Google searches, he found we had a fortune lying right at our fingertips. We jumped, shouted, cried, and planned for a very different future than what we had anticipated when we married just seven short months earlier. But fate was not on our side. I wish I could say we were able to go on that vacation we dreamily planned that first night. I wish I could say that our love was

Garden Goodies Continued -

Repotting - When you start seeing roots coming out of the pot’s drainage holes, you know it’s time to repot. Choose a pot that’s about 1”-2” larger than the one it’s in. Put about an 1” of drainage material in the bottom, then about an 1” of potting soil. Take your plant out of its current ‘home’ and place it in its new ‘home’. Take potting soil and gently but firmly fill in all the sides. Put about 1/2”-1” of soil on the top of the root ball within about a 1/2” of the top of the pot. Water well and after about 2-3 hours, dump any excess water out. Place in a bright location with indirect light.

Watch for a New

By Guest Writer, Jill Chapman

enough. Don’t you think love should be enough to keep two people together? We planned so many awesome things that night. Oh, how I wish that would be the final story. For months now my mind has refused to acknowledge the path that actually appeared in front of us. Friends and family fighting over our good luck, the old girlfriend who crept back into Bryan’s heart and the former owners of our little farmhouse accusing us of theft, all took over our future. Like a thick fog that clouded our dreams from us, the greed crowded everything else out. After months of heartbreak, he left with his half of the fortune. Tonight I sit alone at the stained kitchen table in my now lonely little house that used to belong to both of us. I wish things would have turned out differently that’s for sure. But my resolve to move on with hope was growing stronger. Turning the tarnished coin over in my hand I can’t help but wonder how some antique coins could cause so much trouble. As I examine the dark coin, I think to myself, this is my secret, my future, and no one will keep me from my dreams. I don’t plan to tell anyone about these last two jars I dug up early this morning. I set the new jars beside the others I have found in the last few weeks. Smiling, I slip the old coin in my pocket and finish packing my luggage.

Since they are so easy to propagate, what an easy way to share the ‘green’! Start several pots and give away! Give one to your child’s teacher, neighbor, mailman, your best friend....and even possibly to someone that you need to make ammends with. Top of the mornin’ to you and share the green! Small To

wn Living in Gibson

County

, IN

in ce t o Th e P r a t r e Th e

PRSRT

Small Town Living in Gibson County, IN

STD

ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID EDDM RETAIL

Local Customer Postal

~ & No w ~ Th e n

February 2017

g Inside -The Cookin ss Today

Corner

Busine Insider Sports

Connections Eateries of Area Country the Scenes Behind More! Much . . . and

check our website for all issues as digital flipbooks

Small To

wn Living in Gibson

County,

PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID EDDM RETAIL

Local Postal Custome

G ib so n Co u n t y B arn Q u il t Tr a il U pd at e

Inside -

The Cookin Local Talentg Corner Spotlight Sports Insider

Country Connections Behind the Scenes ... and Much

More!

of Area

March 2017

Eateries

www.smalltownlivinggibsoncounty.com

Plan to enjoy prom with us make your reservations early.

Spring menu

coming soon!

404 W Broadway St. • Princeton, IN 47670 Page 34

Watch for new seafood options during Lent.

Don’t forget the Early Bird Special “Wine down Wednesdays”

RESERVATIONS • CARRY OUT • 812-635-4303 March 2020

M - F 11 am-2 pm, Tue - Thur 4-9 pm, Fri & Sat 4 pm-10 pm

Small Town Living

124 South Hart Street Princeton, IN 47670 812-385-4464 www.princetonpl.lib.in.us S

Mon

March 2020

SEPTEMBER 2015 Tue Wed

Stay up to date by following us on Facebook! Thu

Sat

All programs and meeting Silent Auction! Monday, March 30, 12pm, through room reservations will end on March 31 to Saturday, April 4, 5pm! prepare for inside Come in and bid on items all week! construction. 1

2 Monday Night Knit3 Family Story Time, 10-11am 4 Arty Party ters, 6pm weekly knitting All ages 3:30-4:30pm club, all ages and skill Games & Snacks, 3:30-4:30pm levels welcome

6 7 Gibson County Knitters 9am-noon (Final Meeting at the Library until September) Lego Club 2-4pm

9 Monday Night Knitters, 10 Family Story Time, 10-11am 11 Arty Party 6pm 3:30-4:30pm All ages Games & Snacks, 3:30-4:30pm

15 16 Monday Night Knitters, 6pm

17 Family Story Time, 10-11am All ages Games & Snacks, 3:30-4:30pm Creative Writing Club 6pm (Final Meeting at the Library until September!)

18 Arty Party 19 3:30-4:30pm After school program for all youth: arts, crafts, and snacks

22 23 Monday Night Knitters, 6pm

24 Family Story Time, 10-11am 25 Arty Party All ages 3:30-4:30pm (Final Meeting at the Library until (Final Meeting at the Adult/Youth Movie Night September!) Library until September) 5:15pm. Games & Snacks, 3:30-4:30pm Joker, PG-13 (Final Meeting at the Library until September!)

31 29 30 Monday Night 31 All programs and Knitters, 6pm meeting room reserva(Final Meeting at the Library until September!) tions will end TODAY, Family Movie Night 6pm Frozen 2, Rated PG Silent Auction begins today at noon!

1 14 Lego Club 3 2-4pm 2 21 Lego Club, 0 2-4pm Family time to play with Legos together

26 Crazy Crafters 6pm

2 28 Lego Club 7 2-4pm (Final Meeting (Final Meetat the Library ing at the until Library until September) September!) 2

March 31 to prepare for inside construction. We appreciate your patience through our expansion!

3 4 Silent Auction ends today at 5pm! Winners will be notified on Monday. Cash or check when you pick up your item!

Silent Auction all week! Beech Bend Park tickets, library furniture, crocheted blankets, craft items, jewelry, dinner & movie package, and more! Small Town Living March 2020

Page 35

Fort Branch & Haubstadt Public Libraries ies

Fort Branch Library 107 E Locust St Ft. Branch, IN 47648

MARCH 2020 EVENTS

NEW THIS YEAR: “Touch B.A.S.E.” B A S E ” senior fitness classes every Monday - Thursday d (more info listed below)

812-753-4212 Haubstadt Library 101 W Gibson St Haubstadt, IN 47639

Wednesday, March 4: Kid’s Craft Day from 9 am - 5 pm at Fort Branch Library. We will be making frog crafts for spring!

812-768-6005

Thursday Tech Time: Do you need help with computers or smart devices? Bring your questions to Thursday Tech Time! We would be more than happy to help! Every Thursday 9 am - 5 pm Fort Branch Library Computer Lab AARP Tax Aide is now at the Fort Branch Fire Department from 11 am - 3 pm on these dates: March 10, March 24, and April 7

Hours

Fort Branch

Haubstadt

MON

9 am - 5 pm

TUE

11 am - 7 pm

1 pm - 5 pm

WED

9 am - 5 pm

THU

9 am - 5 pm

11 am - 7 pm

FRI

1 pm - 5 pm

SAT

1 pm - 4 pm

9 am - 12 pm

SUN

CLOSED

Tuesday, March 10: After School Game Day (K-2) from 3:30 - 5 pm at Fort Branch Library. Thursday, March 12: Adult Book Club at 6 pm at Haubstadt Library. We will be discussing the book “The Miracle Worker” by William Gibson. Sign up and book copies are available at Haubstadt Library (you can also sign up by phone). Tuesday, March 17: After School Game Day (3-5) from 3:30 - 5 pm at Fort Branch Library. Friday, March 20: Book Sale from 1 - 5 pm at Fort Branch Library located in the Carnegie building’s upper level. Hardbacks/softcovers will be $0.50 each, small paperbacks will be $0.25 each, and children’s books will also be $0.25 each. Monday, March 23: Movie Day at 1 pm at Fort Branch Library. We will be showing the movie “Norm of the North: Family Vacation”! Wednesday, March 25: Movie Day at 1 pm at Haubstadt Library. We will be showing “Playmobil: The Movie”! Friday, March 27: Adult Game Night from 6:30 - 9:30 pm at Fort Branch Library. Make sure you RSVP before then so we know you are coming!

Touch B.A.S.E. Senior Fitness Class Mondays | 1 - 2 pm | Haubstadt Town Hall Tuesdays | 1 - 2 pm | Fort Branch Library Wednesdays | 1 - 2 pm | Haubstadt Town Hall Thursdays | 10 - 11 am | Fort Branch Library

Page Layout & Content by Mikala Sisson, Staff Member

TH E G ib so n Co u n t y Co u n cil o n A g in g Ca n H e l p

Looking for Lunch?

Need A Ride?

We offer rides to SWIRCA lunches now seniors and the served daily for seniors. Hot disabled to doctor meal with drink and dessert appointments, for $3.50. Complete form at shopping and other needed activities. center to enroll. Call in advance.

Call 812-385-2897 for information • 212 S. Richland Creek Drive • Princeton, IN 812-385-8818

Page 36

March 2020

Small Town Living

Activities i n the Cou nty

Photos: Jancey Smith

Baby Berry Fundraiser Packed Ft. Branch VFW

The Ft. Branch VFW was filled with friends, family and supporters of Brandon and Marissa Berry on Saturday, February 1st. The Berry family is expecting a little girl in March that has been diagnosed with omphalocele (organs outside the abdomen) and an AV canal heart defect. These problems will require extensive medical care. The fundraiser was to help with travel and medical costs.

Daughter’s of Isabella Held Spaghetti Dinner

For four years now, the Daughter’s of Isabella have hosted a spaghetti dinner at the Haubstadt K of C. On Saturday, February 22nd, 25 volunteers helped make 15 pounds of pasta, seven gallons of sauce and donated desserts to feed 100 Joan Kays & Linda Kissel patrons. serve plates of pasta.

Marissa Berry chats with Patty Phol.

Stacy Winstead (r) & Kaycie Winstead helped sell raffle tickets.

Dinners started arriving just after 5 p.m.

Haubstadt Cub Scouts Earn Award

Cub Scout Parker Clevy (left) and Cub Scout Quinn Lamey (right) have earned religious emblems awards. They worked hard for a Photo provided year and learned more and strengthened their faith. Father Luke presented and blessed their emblems at Mass at Sts. Peter and Paul. During the Mass, the scouts attended as a pack to celebrate scout Sunday. A reception followed at the Knights of St. John in Haubstadt.

Now Serving Wabash, Lawrence, Edwards and Richland Counties • Title Insurance • Lien Searches

• Abstracts • Closings

Also Serving Gibson, Knox, Pike, Warrick, Vanderburgh and Posey Counties

Email: patti@broadway-title.com 226 W. Broadway St. www.facebook.com/broadwaytitle Princeton, IN 47670 Small Town Living March 2020 Page 37

812-386-1687

Broadway Players Prep for Show

Francisco Lions Hosted Crafters

Photo: Jennifer MacKay

The Broadway Players have started rehearsals for their 2020 Season opening play, The Outsiders based on the novel by S. E. Hinton. The play begins March 27th. Tickets are available online or at the theatre box office.

Brett Austin, Joe Gilpatrick and Tom Whaley rehearse a scene from the upcoming play.

Photos: Jancey Smith

The Francisco Lions Club held their first “Cropin Hearts for Lions” event. Crafters and scrapbookers were invited to spend the day crafting, visiting, snacking and sharing ideas with new friends to help with Lions Club goals. There were 33 crafters who attended.

The ladies loved sharing pictures, stories and ideas.

Backyard Birds Continued

short time finding the task which I had undertaken impracticable, as the birds poured in in countless multitudes, I rose, and counting the dots then put down, found that 163 had been made in twenty-one minutes. I travelled on, and still met more the farther I proceeded. The air was literally filled with Pigeons; the light of noonday was obscured as by an eclipse, the dung fell in spots, not unlike melting flakes of snow; and the continued buzz of wings had a tendency to lull my senses to repose “. Not to be confused with the Carrier Pigeon in name, or the Mourning Dove in appearance, the Passenger Pigeon was approximately 15” in length, built a flimsy nest in trees and laid only one white egg. A lot of eggs fell to the ground due to the weakly constructed nest, but they were able to successfully reproduce thanks to their sheer numbers. Predators such as raccoons, foxes, possums, hawks, eagles and snakes could gorge themselves on pigeon eggs without exhausting the supply. More than one hundred nests might occupy one tree. In order to help survive these birds practiced communal roosting and breeding. This communal behavior is no more than a “safety in numbers” tactic. The more technical term for this is “predator satiation”. It is an anti-predator adaptation, in which an attack of these high population densities would reduce the probability of an individual being eaten. Roosting in trees for the night in numbers that were so large that tree

Great Food

limbs would break from the weight of so many and dung droppings on the ground would cover the forest floor two inches deep. One roosting/nesting site in Wisconsin was estimated to cover 850 square miles and consist of 136,000,000 birds. So, how did this largest of avian species in the world go extinct? I’m sorry to say it was man. Huge killings took place for food, trade, and retaliation when the birds started looking for food sources in the farmers fields because of the clearing of forests. After the trade of the pigeons had been commercialized by the late 1800s, their population diminished significantly until the last known bird died in captivity in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. “Martha” was the last known remaining Passenger Pigeon. She is now in the Smithsonian Institute. Let it remind us of a quote from George Santayana, “Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes’ “. The Passenger Pigeonʼs greatest legacy to humans was the push forward its extinction gave to the conservation movement. A monument to the passenger pigeon, in Wisconsinʼs Wyalusing State Park, declares: “This species became extinct through the avarice and thoughtlessness of man.” So, will we still remember “Martha” and her ancestors? Sources and Acknowledgments https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america/ passenger-pigeon https://www.si.edu/spotlight/passenger-pigeon https://www.britannica.com/animal/passenger-pigeon

*21 AND OLDER ONLY

Friday & Saturday Dinner Service 4-8:30pm

is Back in Hazleton

The Ohana Hilltop management has opened the White River Inn

Page 38

Steaks, Catfish, Pork Chops and more.

Hours: Tue & Thurs 11am-5pm Wed 11am-8pm (Saucheesie Night!) Fri & Sat 11am-10pm (Dinner served 4-8:30pm) Closed Sun & Mon (All times are CST)

SAUCHEESIES

301 E. State Rd. 56, Hazleton, IN 812-784-2302 A variety of homemade desserts

March 2020

Small Town Living

An Artist Profile Gil Phillips By Jennifer MacKay

Last month you probably read Greg Wright’s tribute to National Baseball Hall of Fame honoree Edd Roush of Oakland City in the February 2020 issue. If you are an Oakland City resident or frequent that area, you may have also noticed a billboard in town that pays tribute to Edd Roush. I wanted to know more about the artist commissioned to paint this mural. That artist is named Gil Phillips. Gil Phillips grew up in the Mackey area, but eventually settled in Oakland City. His artistic career started while he was in the U.S. Army, but he had always had an artistic streak and a love of drawing since childhood. Around age seven he really started enjoying drawing and by his teens got into painting. While serving in the U.S. Army, they found out about his talent and requested his skills to paint many projects including a mural on their mess hall. Painting jobs were always a side job for Gil, but what I found out was his work is more prevalent in our area than many today may realize. He has been hired over the years mostly to paint signage around the area for various businesses as well as murals in family’s homes. Gil showed me an album full of local signs that I would never have guessed were hand painted by him. Many signs today are digital or created by machines, but Gil is one of the last free-hand painters in the area. Many of his signs are still around and he updates them if need be. His work can also be seen in various grocery store fronts. Stores like IGA hire him to hand paint seasonal scenes and promotions. His work has also been seen in years past on race cars down at the Haubstadt track. Some of his most impressive work was for Wood Memorial High School where he was commissioned to paint the gym floor with a beautiful image of their Trojan mascot. Unfortunately, he said it has since been replaced with newer flooring but he believes a few of his other Trojan’s painted in the school may still be on some

GilPhillips – M uraland Sign A rtist

Gil Phillips stands next the mural in Oakland City. Photo provided

walls. The billboard mural tribute to Edd Roush in Oakland City was originally started by a man named Yuri, unknown last name. When Yuri became unable to finish the large project, in 2017, Gil was asked to step in to finish it. The project originally started indoors. Yuri had started with the two paintings of Edd Roush but Gil needed to redo them to make it match his painting style. My favorite aspect of this project is the individual people in the background watching Edd Roush play are all individual portraits of people around the area. I asked how are the people chosen to be added to the mural and Gill stated, that if you go to the City and pay $100 and provide a photo, you too can be included in the mural. I wondered if Gil had known Edd Roush, and had a personal connection to this job? He did. Gil was bartending years back at Herb’s Hideaway Tavern in Oakland City and knew Edd pretty well and thought he was a nice guy. There is still so much space left for spectators in the mural, so if you wish to be a portrait memorialized in local history, check with the Oakland City Mayor’s office to find out how to be included in this piece of artwork.

Leaving your job? Let's talk about your options. Member SIPC

w w w. e d w a r d j o n e s . c o m

Doug Lane | Financial Advisor 403 East Broadway | Princeton, IN 47670 | 812-386-6857

Small Town Living March 2020

Page 39

Valenti ne â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Specials

Photos: Jancey Smith

Hillsideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 412 Youth Group Put on 11th Annual Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dinner

Thirty youth and twelve leaders helped prepare the meal.

Over 170 people attended the dinner put on by Hillsideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Youth group on Saturday, February 8th. They were raising money for a mission trip to Alaska in 2021.

Dinah Michas and family were among those who attended the event.

Paige and Ben Kennard got a rare date night out.

A Wedding at the Senior Center

On Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, the Gibson County Council on Aging, where Norma Altmeier and John Held play cards on Mondays, was the site of their wedding which was held in the chapel. Friends and family gathered to share the coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happiness and a reception was held in the activity room.

Saturday, March 14, 2020 5:00 p.m. Tickets $25/person or $45/couple Call 812-385-2228

Above: The famous words were spoken: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You may kiss the bride.â&#x20AC;?

Left: Norma waits for everyone to get seated before being walked down the aisle. She said she was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;beyond excited.â&#x20AC;?

G AM ING LICE NSE #0 1 4 8 5 7

The Best Independent Living Place is Your Own Home ~ We can help you stay there â&#x20AC;˘ Companions â&#x20AC;˘ Homemakers â&#x20AC;˘ Personal Care Assistants

Page 40

Call

www.vnplus.org

ay! Visiting Nurse Plus d o T Us

812-425-0853 â&#x20AC;˘ 800-776-0903

March 2020

Small Town Living

David Purdom, MD General Surgeon

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dr. Purdom never let me give up hope.â&#x20AC;? - Bonnie C.

A DEACONESS NETWORK AFFILIATE

gibsongeneral.com/Bonnie

Dr. Purdom | 812-385-9392

Faster scans. Greater clarity. More comfort. Introducing the new Signa Artist extra wide-bore MRI at Gibson General Hospital. We're committed to providing our patients with the latest in diagnostic imaging technology. That's why we're excited to announce the installation of new MRI scanning technology at Gibson General Hospital. This new scanner provides a whole new level of comfort with adaptable coil designs and acceleration techniques that minimize scan times and improve image quality. GE's new Air Coil Technology provides endless possibilities for imaging by bringing coil elements closer to the anatomy to improve signal reception, depth of penetration and image quality while making it easier to position the coil on the patient. To learn more or schedule an appointment, call 812-385-9248.

Skip the Line.

Schedule Online.

Visit gibsongeneral.com/ScheduleNow or use MyChart to conveniently schedule provider appointments, lab tests, mammograms, or pay your bill.

Your House, Your Shelter

Your home is your biggest investment. You provide the house and we’ll provide the Shelter. Let us help you design an insurance plan that’s right for you. Call us today! David Cordray Cordray Insurance Agency LLC 201 E State St, Princeton, IN 47670 812-386-8495 DCordray@ShelterInsurance.com

AUTO • HOME • LIFE

We’re your Shield. We’re your Shelter. ShelterInsurance.com

Small Town Living in Gibson County

Articles inside

Country Music by a Country Girl - Kenna Elpers